


Old Age and Puppies

by MeredithBrody



Series: NaNoWriMo [5]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 20:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1061330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/pseuds/MeredithBrody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon returns to Andoria from Earth with a surprise for the two youngest members of his family, to relieve the oldest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Age and Puppies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sokorra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/gifts), [PinkAngel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkAngel/gifts).



For Jonathan Archer, trips back to Earth often ended up being something of a family holiday. He'd bring Erika and the kids and Porthos and they would spend a few days with their families and friends before heading back to Andoria. This last time though it had been a very brief visit, he'd been on Earth less than 12 hours. Thankfully it had been long enough to collect the presents he'd wanted to get for Serena and HC, and to drop off what he'd needed too for the Federation council.

Jon was under no illusions, his best friend was getting old. Porthos was 19 years old, a good age for any dog, but the last few months he'd been hiding in the master bedroom more often, unable to handle the boisterousness of two young children who wanted to play. He'd also taken to sleeping in the nest behind his legs at night. So after much discussion with Erika, they'd decided to get two new Beagle pups, to give Porthos a break and to spend his retirement in peace.

The pups were again from Erika's mom, which was how he'd come to get Porthos to begin with. The female was Porthos' great niece, and the male was from one of her friends. It was possible that they'd make it for breeding, but that wasn't why they'd wanted these puppies to begin with. Right now he just wanted more active pets for the kids, and nobody could claim these two puppies weren't boisterous.

Erika hadn't been quite as interested in two more dogs, it had taken many years for her and Porthos to come to an understanding, and she wasn't really a dog person, but she also knew the kids would be happy about it, so she had managed to put her misgivings to one side and agree to it. The first part of the plan required Shran's co-operation, and while it was only for a few minutes, Jon wasn't sure how Shran would do with the puppies.

"Thanks for helping us with this." He said, handing the leads over for a few minutes. The two puppies immediately stopped pulling and started looking at who Jon had given the lead too before bounding up to him and starting sniffing at his feet. Jon grinned as Shran looked down, clearly trying to understand what the dogs were doing. In Jon's experience, Andorian dogs weren't quite so friendly.

"There was no reason not to. It is only for a short time." Shran said with a large smile. He enjoyed spending time with Jon's kids, he'd noticed and, Shran was always willing to help if needed.

"An hour at most, and that's only if HC is asleep."

"They won't need anything in that time, will they?" Shran asked a little nervously, but Jon had made sure that they'd done everything that was needed before he'd brought them in to this wing of the Embassy, it wasn't his favourite entrance, but it would keep the puppies away from the kids for a short while. Enough time for he and Erika to tell them the surprise.

"I don't think so. They've just had use of outside, and they'll be eating with Porthos soon."

"Go, pinkskin. I am sure I can manage two puppies."

"If you shout Erika will probably hear you. I'm going to be jumped on."

"They have missed you." Shran confirmed, and he wondered how much time Shran had spent debating with Erika while he was gone. The two disagreed on almost every subject, but it was fun for him to watch their arguments. They always made such intelligent points and clearly made one another think. Never a bad position to be in.

"Makes a nice change." He joked and left the office. He hadn't really needed someone to stay with the puppies, but he hadn't wanted his office completely trashed.

"Daddy!" Serena shouted. Echoed a second later by HC. Serena ran to him and threw herself into his arms, causing all the breath to be knocked out of him.

"Hey kiddos. Ooof. Rena you're getting too big for that." He squeezed his daughter again for a second then put her down, picking HC up instead.

"You're home daddy!" He shouted in Jon's ear, and all he did was squeeze HC too and put him down too.

"Did you miss me?"

"Yes." They both shouted, then smirked at him.

"Did you both behave?" He asked, giving HC a serious look, he was always the easiest to break, probably part of him being so much younger.

"They did, actually." Erika came out of the kitchen area and grinned, clearly she'd heard he'd gotten home by the noise of their children.

"Did mommy behave guys?" He asked once he'd pulled back from Erika, a little disappointed he couldn't have held her for longer. He would save that tonight.

"No!" The two children shouted together, causing Erika to chuckle in his ear, one of his favourite sounds, especially when it was caused by their children. For some reason he completely believed that Erika had misbehaved while he was away, at least in the view of their children.

"Good. Just how I like it." He grinned and kissed Erika on the cheek, then kept his arm wrapped around her back as he turned back to the kids who were both clearly still excited that he was home. "So, if everyone behaved how about a surprise?"

"What kind of a surprise?" Serena asked, old enough to understand that surprise wasn't always the best thing, but Jon just smiled at her before responding, hoping that was enough to put her at ease.

"I brought back a very special present from Earth. But you have to agree that you'll be good."

"OK." They called together jumping up and down. He went back and helped Shran bring the two puppies through, and between the happy screaming of his children and the yips of the puppies, he decided he'd made the right decision to bring them along. He grinned at Shran then Erika, the latter of which was shaking her head and looking as if she couldn't believe the family of dog lovers she had, the former who was watching the children happily playing with their new pets. It had definitely been a good idea.


End file.
